Throughout America's history immigration policy has always been a controversial and complex topic; going to the heart of what it means to be American. Now; with terrorism as a new concern; Americans have begun to look closer at the effects of rising immigration and porous borders.In this cogently-argued work; immigration scholar Otis L. Graham; Jr. examines the history of immigration pressures and American policy debates and choices. He begins with the first "Great Wave" of the 1880s and traces the effects of the system of national origins; enforced from the 1920s through 1965. The reforms of the 1960s ushered in an era of large-scale legal and illegal immigration; resulting in a vast social experiment in demographic transformation. In assessing the past; present; and future of immigration; Graham shows that the failure to control the influx of foreigners is leading America toward further security risks; unsustainable population growth; imported worker competition with American labor; and; ultimately; social fragmentation.
#1996538 in Books 2014-09-24Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.14 x 1.15 x 6.47l; .0 #File Name: 0739179853362 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy JAMES G SARGENTVery Good!!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The interested reader will be amazed at the exhaustive wealth of detail providedBy Christian PotholmReview of Greg Gallant; Hope and Fear in Margaret Chase Smith’s America (Lantham: Lexington Books; 2014). There have been a number of biographies of Margaret Chase Smith by Alberta Gould; Patricia Schmidt; Janann Sherman and Patricia Ward to name but a few. So one would imagine there is little more to tell. Yet this work plows new ground; providing illuminating detail about her thoughts; actions and the challenges she faced; including having to confront the reality of her husband’s illegitimate child after his death; all this while running to replace him in the U.S. Congress. By using the Cold War and changes in American society as a backdrop; the author captures the zeitgeist of America and positions Margaret Chase Smith at the center of its political landscape and gives the reader a most valuable and fresh look at those realities. As one of those interviewed for the work; I can attest to the accuracy of his recreation of that world as seen through the eyes of Bowdoin students in the class of 1962. This is a most valuable addition to the literature of that period for both the politics of Maine and the United States. The interested reader will be amazed at the exhaustive wealth of detail provided. A most worthwhile addition to the history of this fascinating period of upheaval and change.
